The battle of the face oils!

By Tina A. - April 06, 2014

Over the past few months, face oils have developed into a bit of a "thing" where skincare is concerned and all the more beauty devotees (not just bloggers & YTers) are incorporating them into their daily routines.

And rightfully so: no other product out there will transform your skin quicker than a face oil while actually "feeding it from within" with the least amount of side effects (if any). You see, these products are usually jam packed with plant oils and extracts with a high vitamin concentration, ensuring that you get more than your money's worth. Ok, I'll stop waxing lyrical at this point, but I can easily tell you that the difference between a face that uses face oils frequently and one that doesn't is pretty noticeable (yes, your selfies are a dead giveaway)! :)

To cut a long story short I ended up with quite a few of them, and I'll be reviewing them straight away:

1. Josie Maran Argan Oil. I initially got this sample a while back for my hair, but the (very "oily") scent put me off and I pushed it to the depths of my cupboard. It wasn't until I was faced with a dry and flakey skin situation a couple of months ago that I decided to pull this out again, and let me tell you, I was ecstatic I did: this extremely rich oil restores the moisture levels of my dry and occasionally dehydrated skin unlike no other! It's definitely the richest one I've tried, in fact it doesn't get completely absorbed overnight, but it works wonders, so I'm a happy camper!Ingredients: 100% Pure Argan Oil (rich in Vitamin E and fatty acids).2. The Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum-In-Oil*. One of the most recent launches among the face oils is this one by The Body Shop, which comes as an addition to their popular Vitamin E range. At first I didn't really believe that this one could compete with the others, but I was proven wrong - in fact I couldn't believe this was not a high-end product: it's a very effective oil that comes in the most lightweight formula possible (hence the "serum-in-oil" I would assume)! This oil would be ideal for the warmer months, and it's probably one that would cater to all skintypes - in fact this is one of the two I'd recommend you try! Another huge plus is that it's the most affordable of the bunch.Ingredients: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil/Triticum Vulgare (Wheat) Germ Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil/Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil/Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil/Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil/Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Glycine Soja Oil/Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Parfum/Fragrance, Tocopheryl Acetate, Benzyl Benzoate, Geraniol, Linalool, Limonene, Citronellol, Benzyl Salicylate, Eugenol, Citral, Anisyl Alcohol, Citric Acid.

3. Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil. This came highly recommended by fellow bloggers, and while it is a very good facial oil, it didn't quite knock my socks off: yes, it's works great with my dry skin (it's aimed at dehydrated skintypes anyways) and the formula is carefully designed to provide ample hydration without leaving any residue in the morning, however, for the price (almost 3x as much as the TBS one) I expected something more. I do enjoy its fruity/floral scent, but I probably wouldn't repurchase.Ingredients: Corylus Avellana (Hazel) Seed Oil, Pogostemon Cablin Oil, Parfum/Fragrance, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Orchid Extract, Linalool, Limonene, Coumarin, Eugenol.4. Pai Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil. I could skip the review altogether and tell you all to go get this asap, but you need to know why: this will not only hydrate your skin, but it will give it a lovely glow, almost as if you live on 9 hrs of sleep per night (which we all know you don't)! This particular oil has even granted me a skin compliment, and let me tell you, I never get compliments regarding my skin (usually critique, but I digress)! Another factor that places this oil one level above the rest, in my opinion, is the formula: along the usual vitamins and fatty acids that most facial oils contain, this contains a high level of carotenoids (antioxidants) that give it its signature orange color, unlike many other rosehip oils. Personally I'm sold, even more so because rosehip oil is a natural source of all-trans-retinoic acid, a type of Vitamin A metabolite that can be readily used by the skin, without causing any irritations.Ingredients: Rosa Canina (Rosehip CO2) Seed Extract, Rosa Canina (Rosehip CO2) Fruit Extract, Mixed Tocopherols.

A special mention should be made for an oil I've only recently started using: the Hera Regenerating & Restoring Night Time Oil Mix by Fresh Line. The formula is as high end as they come (sadly also reflected in its price, which is a bit higher than the Clarins one): rich, yet easily absorbed, and also delightfully scented (it reminds me of good quality amber incense).
Now, I don't have the exact ingredient list for this one, as this was a travel sized sample from a set, but I know it contains borage oil (rich in ferulic acid), evening primrose oil, wheat germ oil, olive oil and avocado oil, along with a large number of flower and botanic essential oils (rose, jasmine, sage, blue chamomile, geranium, lavender and sandalwood to name a few) that are supposed to regenerate the skin, in a non-irritating fashion.

Allow me to hand out some awards to sum things up:

Scaley bits be gone Award: Josie MaranLight as A Feather Award: The Body ShopMost Bang for your Buck Award: The Body Shop"I'm back from vacation, hun" Award: PaiPleasure for the Senses Award: Fresh Line

For those of you that might wonder, I often use a moisturiser on top if I feel that my skin is on the drier side, however, they make excellent moisturisers themselves. Regardless, face oils are the skincare game changer and I strongly urge you to experiment and find one that caters to your needs.

PS: Apologies are in order, as this post is long overdue - hopefully if you made it this far you know why. I'm also behind on getting back to your comments, but I will do so in the next few days.

Pai is definitely going to be my next purchase, thanks to your review doll, tbs is really good too, and you need 2drops along with your moisturizer so is gonna hold for a very long time!! But Pai! Oh my! I'm sold!! <3

@Irene Blushing Loves: Haha, I can't wait to hear from you once you've tried it! Currently, I'm mixing the Fresh Line one with the moisturizer from the same (Hera) range, for a lighter result, and I'm really enjoying it! I'm trying to save the TBS one for summer! :))

@Marina(Makeup4all): Wow, I hadn't realized you had that dry of a skin! :( I guess you cannot skip oils then, huh? Yes, I remember the Biotherm press release, I was interested too! Do share if you get either one! ;)

Lovely Collection! I have and love the Clarins Blue Orchid Face Treatment Oil for whenever my skin is at its worse dehydrated-wise as well as the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate for every night in collaboration with my EL Advanced Night Repair! ;)

Great post!!I use serums at night (and maybe in the mornings in winter) but i was thinking to buy a facial oil for my dry skin.I was between the clarins and the pai one so your review makes pai a winner!I think i'll buy it soon! :)

@Stella: Serums are necessary too, but nothing beats oils when it comes to dry/dehydrated skin imo! The Clarins is a great oil too, but perhaps a little too rich for the warmer months! Definitely pricey though! :(

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